Department of Revenue and Taxation Real Property Tax Assessments and Exemptions

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1 Department of Revenue and Taxation Real Property Tax Assessments and Exemptions Performance Audit Tax Years 2012 through 2017 and October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2017 OPA Report No May 2018

2 Department of Revenue and Taxation Real Property Tax Assessments and Exemptions Performance Audit Tax Years 2012 through 2017 and October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2017 OPA Report No May 2018 Distribution: Governor of Guam Lt. Governor of Guam Speaker, 34 th Guam Legislature Senators, 34 th Guam Legislature Department of Revenue and Taxation Department of Land Management Guam Media via

3 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 Introduction... 3 Background... 3 Results of Audit... 8 Mass Re-Appraisal Increased Tax Assessment Values by an average of $7.0M... 9 Guam is Among the Lowest in Property Values and has the Lowest Effective Property Tax Rates in the United States Fatal Flaw with PIN Creation in DRT and DLM Systems $ 18.8M in Property Tax Revenue Leakages or $4.2M Annually $10.5M in Uncollected /Delinquent Property Taxes $2.8M in Unbilled/Unidentified Property Owners (John Doe) $2.3M in Unpaid Escaped Assessments (EA) $1.9M in Unbilled and Unassessed Chamorro Land Trust (CLTC) Real Property Inventory 16 $862K in Untaxed Multi-Family Dwelling Properties $446K in Questionable Taxable Value Reductions Other Possible Revenue Leakages Efficiencies in System and Assessment Collection Process Needed $21.3M in Foregone Property Tax Revenues or $4.3M Annually $9.9M in Primary Home Exemptions $6.6M in Senior Citizen Credits $3.8M in Exemptions Granted to Government Properties, Public Roads, Religious and Educational Purposes, Cemetery, Farm, Etc. (A-F Exemptions) $824K in Tax Abatements for GEDA QCs $169K in Citizens with Disability Credits Conclusion and Recommendations Classification of Monetary Amounts Management Response and OPA Reply Appendices 1. Objective, Scope, and Methodology Prior Audit Coverage DRT-RPT Organizational Chart Laws, Regulations and Internal Policies Average Home Values (Low to High) Effective Property Tax Rates (Low to High) GAO Best Practices NCSL Best Practices DRT Management Response DLM Management Response... 51

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Department of Revenue and Taxation Real Property Tax Assessments and Exemptions OPA Report No , May 2018 Based on data provided by the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT), the average assessed property value in Guam for 2016 was $196,281 (after the mass revaluation in 2014), which is an increase of $59,031 or 43% from However, Guam s average residential home value of $196,737 in 2016 is among the lowest in the United States. Coupled with the lowest effective tax rate of 0.17%, Guam collects far less in real property taxes in comparison with the 50 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections in the United States, comprising 31.3%. However, Guam s real property taxes accounted for only 3.4% of all tax revenues. With the lost opportunity of increased revenues resulting from low property tax rates, the Government of Guam (GovGuam) also had unrealized revenues of $40.2 Million (M) in real property taxes for tax years 2012 through 2016, or an average of $8.5M per year. The unrealized revenues stemmed from revenue leakages totaling $18.8M due to uncollected/delinquent property taxes, unassessed and or unbilled John Doe properties, unpaid escaped assessments, unassessed and/or unbilled Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) leased properties, untaxed condominium units, and questionable decline in taxable values of hotel properties. GovGuam also had unrealized revenues totaling $21.3M from exemptions, credits and abatements, which are granted by existing laws. See table below for details. Real Property Tax Unrealized Revenues for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Total Amount Average ( ) Per Year Type of Property Tax Revenue Loss Percentage to Category A. Revenue Leakage 1. Uncollected/Delinquencies $ 10,507,541 $ 2,101,508 56% 2. Unbilled John Doe Properties $ 2,800,734 $ 933, % 3. Unpaid Escape Assessments $ 2,311,021 $ 462,204 12% 4. Unbilled and unassessed CLTC Properties $ 1,926,067 $ 385,213 10% 5. Unassessed Condo, Townhomes $ 862,249 $ 172,450 5% 6. Questionable Taxable Value Reduction $ 445,740 $ 148, % Total Revenue Leakage $ 18,853,352 $ 4,203, % B. Foregone Revenues 1. Primary Home Exemption $ 9,897,175 $ 1,979,435 46% 2. Senior Citizen Credits $ 6,644,651 $ 1,328,930 31% 3. A-F Exemptions (Government, Religious, Farm, etc.) $ 3,810,566 $ 762,113 18% 4. Tax Abatements for Qualifying Certificates $ 824,086 $ 164,817 4% 5. Citizens with Disability Credits $ 169,134 $ 33,827 1% Total Foregone Revenues $ 21,345,612 $ 4,269, % Total Unrealized Revenues $ 40,198,964 $ 8,472,656 We also noted anomalies in the 2016 tax rolls with $186K in questioned costs. Revenue leakages occurred as: (1) DRT did not effectively monitor uncollected property taxes or aggressively collect on delinquent property taxes; (2) DRT systems inability to identify all owners of new properties (John Does) added after the 2014 mass re-appraisal; (3) The existing systems do not have the 1 A three-year average was calculated for the John Doe properties since these only started to appear in TY A three-year average was calculated since the reduced taxable property values took effect in TY

5 ability to create Parcel Identification Numbers (PINs); (4) DRT, Department of Land Management (DLM), and Department of Public Works (DPW) s systems do not interface; and (5) DRT and DLM did not strictly adhere to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Collection Efforts of Uncollected/Delinquent Property Taxes Continue Based on DRT s collection report, for taxes assessed from 2012 to 2016, unpaid property taxes totaled $17.2M as of September 30, For the top 50 delinquent taxpayers alone (inclusive of CLTC and John Doe properties), unpaid property taxes amounted to $6.7M. Some of these taxpayers have been consistently delinquent for three to five years. DRT Systems Inability to Identify Property Owners After 2014 Mass Re-appraisal (John Does) John Doe properties started to appear in the tax assessment rolls after the mass re-appraisals in We found that these are properties with new PINs added to the 2014 tax rolls. Without knowing the names of the property owners and due to the system, DRT is unable to collect taxes from these properties. Fatal Flaw in PIN Creation within DRT and DLM Systems According to DRT-RPT and DLM personnel, the conversions to the Aumentum and LandWeb systems in 2012 led to an inability to create PINs, which are necessary to add properties into the tax rolls to be assessed and billed. Since then, several new multi-family dwelling properties (i.e., condominiums and townhouses) and other constructions were not taxed or had escaped assessments. The exact number of untaxed units cannot be determined, resulting in incomplete tax rolls. There is a lack of aggressive follow-up by DRT and DLM to correct this fatal flaw in the system, which has been known since DRT, DLM, DPW Real Property Information Do not Interface DRT s Aumentum system does not interface with DLM s LandWeb system. Additionally, DPWs data on new construction and additional construction to existing units does not interface with DRT. Consequently, the exact number of condominium units constructed since 2012 could not be determined and neither DRT nor DLM has a complete inventory of all real properties in Guam. With the absence of system interface among these agencies, DRTs annual tax rolls will continue to be incomplete, resulting in a significant amount of unrealized property tax revenues. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DRT and DLM Not Strictly Enforced In May 2016, DRT and DLM executed an MOA to define their responsibilities in providing mutual assistance and cooperative sharing of real property information each agency collects. However, DLM did not provide a list of CLTC and GALC properties with leases and DRT did not regularly provide DLM the certified tax roll for property taxes assessed for CLTC and GALC properties. Conclusion and Recommendation While Guam has the lowest effective tax rates among the United States, GovGuam also had unrealized revenues from property taxes due to inefficiencies in their system and assessment and collection processes. We recommend that DRT/DLM settle the PIN issue with the system provider and aggressively collect and enforce remedies provided by law for delinquent property taxes. We also recommend that DRT, DLM, and DPW ensure that real property information interfaces and adhere to the MOA. As even more revenues are forgone due to credits, exemptions, and abatements, we urge the Legislature to review these benefits. For example, over 5,000 homes are not assessed any tax and 25,000 homeowners pay less than $100. DRT disagreed with several findings and stated that DRT has been effective in administering the Real Property tax laws of Guam. DLM agreed with our findings and recommendations. Doris Flores Brooks, CPA, CGFM Public Auditor 2

6 Introduction This report presents the results of our audit of Real Property Tax Assessments and Exemptions for Tax Years (TY) 2012 through 2017 and Fiscal Years (FY) 2012 through Our review of the Department of Revenue and Taxation s (DRT) annual tax assessment rolls used TY, which encompasses the period after the 1 st Monday of March of the current year to the 1 st Monday of March of the following year. Our review of tax collections and property tax revenues used FY. The audit was conducted as part our 2017 Audit Plan and partly addresses a request from a Senator of the 34 th Legislature regarding possible tax revenue leakages. Our objectives were to determine: 1. The effect of the 2014 mass revaluation on Guam s property values and Guam s ranking of its tax rate in comparison with the United States; 2. Determine revenue leakages due to uncollected property taxes, escaped assessments, and other billing issues; and 3. Determine foregone revenues due to tax exemptions, credits, and abatements. The scope, methodology, and prior audit coverage are detailed in Appendices 1 and 2. Background DRT is responsible for enforcing the income and general tax laws of Guam and for collecting tax revenues, as well as revenues from other sources, such as licensing and registration. DRT has the authority to assess tax and collect real property taxes as authorized by law. DRT s mission is to provide quality service in helping [the] island community to understand and meet tax licensing responsibilities by applying the Tax Laws and Business Regulations with fairness and integrity to all. The Real Property Tax (RPT) Division of DRT is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the real property tax laws mandated by Title 11, Guam Code Annotated (GCA), Chapter 24. There are two branches within RPT, the Appraisal Branch and the Assessment Branch. The Appraisal Branch is responsible for capturing and maintaining the ProVal system for all taxable improvements on land, while the Assessment Branch is responsible for updating the tax assessment records via the Guam Property Tax Assessment System Aumentum. As of September 30, 2016, the RPT Division had 15 employees: 8 in the Appraisal Branch, 5 in the Assessment Branch, 1 Administrator, and 1 Deputy Tax Commissioner. There is no staff assigned to collections within the division. According to DRT Director, the mechanism is in place for collection so there is no need for a collection staff. See DRT RPT Functional Chart in Appendix 3. As of the 2 nd quarter of FY 2018, DRT-RPT s total personnel increased to Conversion to the Aumentum and LandWeb Systems Prior to January 2012, RPT s Real Property Tax System was the legacy AS 400 system, which was used to process real property tax assessments, billing, and other property-related transactions. 3

7 The Department of Land Management (DLM) used the Uniface system to process all information and transactions relative to real properties. In January 2012, DRT converted the AS 400 system to the Government Revenue Management (GRM), which was subsequently changed to the web-based Aumentum system. Concurrently, DLM converted its Uniface system to the LandWeb system, which serves as a database of all transactions related to real properties that DRT can access to prepare and update real property tax assessments. The Aumentum and the LandWeb systems were installed at DRT and DLM, respectively, without a maintenance contract with the local service provider. DLM s LandWeb system is a proprietary software locally developed, which has no similar clients prior to its installation. Appraised Value, Assessed Value, and Property Tax Rates Property means land and improvements on land, and includes the interest of a lessee or licensee of land owned by the Chamorro Land Trust Commission. Appraised value of a property means the amount at which property would be taken in payment of a just debt from a solvent debtor as determined by the last completed valuation conducted pursuant to 11 GCA 24306, Title 11, Guam Code Annotated. Simply put, the appraised value is the current worth of a property based on factors, such as area, location, improvements, and amenities. 3 Assessed value is a percentage of the appraised value. From 2007 to 2016, the Guam Legislature has changed the assessed value rates from 70% to 90% to 100% and back to 90% in Property taxes are computed by applying a levy amount to a taxable base, which is the assessed value less nontaxable assessments or exemptions. Governmental legislative bodies must approve the levy rate. Taxes are applicable to all types of real properties (land and building improvements), which have different tax rates. During the period of our review, Land tax rates increased from 7/80% ( ) to 7/72% ( ) and Building tax rates increased from 7/20% (.0035) to 7/18% ( ). However, we found that with each increase or decrease of the assessed value rate, tax rates were reduced or increased, respectively, resulting in no substantial increase in real property taxes. See Table 1 for the changes in Assessed Value rates and the Land and Building tax rates over the years. Public Law Table 1: Assessed Value Rate and Tax Rate-Tax Year Public Law Enactment Date Effective Tax Year Assessed Value Rate /29/ % /2/ % /28/ % /29/ % Land Tax Rate 1/8% ( ) 7/72% ( ) 7/80% ( ) 7/72% ( ) Building Tax Rate 1/2 % (0.005) 7/18% ( ) 7/20% (0.0035) 7/18% ( ) Average Tax Rate 0.31% ( ) 0.24% ( ) 0.22% ( ) 0.24% ( ) 3 4

8 Bill No proposes to increase the building/improvements tax rate from the present 7/18% ( ) to 7/9% ( ) which would generate approximately $22M provided the Assessed Value rate would remain at 90%. As of the issuance of this report, no action has been taken by the Guam Legislature on this bill. The increase or decrease in assessed values correspondingly increases or decreases the government s debt ceiling limitation, which is 10% of the total assessed value of real properties. See Table 2 for the Debt Ceiling from 2012 to Table 2: GovGuam Debt Limit Based on Certified Assessed Value Tax Year Total Assessed Value Debt Ceiling Limit (10%) Increase (Decrease) 2012 $11,391,887,986 $1,139,188,799 N/A 2013 $11,588,588,866 $1,158,858,887 $ 19,670, $16,973,805,644 $1,697,380,564 $538,521, $14,899,838,025 $1,489,983,803 ($207,396,761) 2016 $13,886,639,588 $1,388,633,959 ($101,349,844) During the period of our review, we found that GovGuam s debt did not exceed the debt ceiling. Assessment of Real Property Taxes On or before September 1 of each tax year, the RPT Division is mandated to make available a tax roll listing identifying all taxable properties and corresponding tax assessments levied. This covers all real properties recorded from after the first Monday of March of the previous tax year to the first Monday of March of the current tax year. Real property taxes become a lien on the property as of noon the first Monday of March of each year. By October 31 each year, the tax assessment roll has to be certified by the Board of Equalization (BOE) and real property taxes become due and payable on December 15. Property taxes are payable in two installments, on February 20 and April 20 of the following year. A delinquent penalty at 9% (minimum of $5.00) is imposed if taxes are not paid on the installment due dates. DRT is mandated by law to serve a 90-day notice letter for delinquent tax assessments, then process and record the deed for non-payment of taxes. Delinquent taxes are included in the Delinquent List, which are published in a newspaper of general circulation. Property Valuation and Mass Appraisal DRT is required by law to re-ascertain the value of all properties in Guam every five years. The last mass appraisal of the real property in Guam was effective retrospectively as of March 4, Utilizing the data provided by DRT, which covered over 66,176 parcels of real property, the contracted Appraiser issued its report in June After this re-appraisal, several John Doe or unidentified property owners appeared in the 2014 tax roll. While Guam s real properties are due for another re-appraisal effective March 2018, no determination has been made if this re-appraisal will proceed, since, according to DRT Director, the legislature did not approve the estimated revaluation cost of $2.7M. Exemptions and Credits 1. General Exemption - Per 11 GCA 24401, certain real properties are exempted from real property taxes; thus, are not assessed. These properties are: 5

9 a. Owned by the United States or Government of Guam, except for the interest of a lessee or licensee in land owned and leased or licensed by the Chamorro Land Trust Commission; b. Public roads or easements; c. Properties used for educational, religious or other eleemosynary purposes; d. Cemetery in use and not conducted for profit; e. Property prohibited for the construction of buildings; f. Property used in active farming for at least eight months in any tax year; 2. Home Tax Exemption - A reduction of up to $50,000 from the appraised value of the improvements is allowed to one home for any owner. 3. Fallout Shelter Exemption - An exemption is granted in addition to a home exemption, to any structure used as fallout shelter. This equates to the first $750 of the appraised value of the improvements. 4. Reduced Tax Rates for Senior Citizens - 11 GCA states that any person 55 years of age or older and has lived in Guam for five preceding consecutive years shall pay only 20% of the yearly tax rate for his or her place of primary residence. 5. Government-Used Land not Taxed to Owner - 11 GCA states that any private property that is used as sites of government roadways or utility assessments shall be removed from the taxpayer s taxable property after verification of a proof or affidavit showing that part of his property is occupied by the government. 6. Reduced Tax Rates for US Citizens with Disabilities and Heads of Households with Dependents with Disabilities - 11 GCA states that a US citizen 18 years old and above with permanent disabilities or a head of household with dependents with disabilities and who lived in Guam for five preceding consecutive years, shall pay only 20% of the yearly real estate tax on his primary residence. The powers, duties, and authority to formulate operational procedures relating to the assessment and collection of Real Property Tax are codified in Title 11 GCA Chapter 24 - Real Property Tax Law. See Appendix 4 for more laws. Board of Equalization (BOE) The BOE is composed of five members appointed by the Governor with a term of four years. The Board shall certify the Tax Rolls for any year on or before October 31 of that year. The BOE, upon showing unreasonableness, may increase or reduce any assessment on the roll in order to equalize assessments throughout Guam. Real Property Revenues FY 2016 property tax revenues of $26.3M increased by $3.1M or 13% from $23.3M in FY 2014 (revenues are collected in 2015) after the 2014 mass revaluation of real properties. Property tax revenues averaged $23.6M and comprised 3% of the entire Government of Guam (GovGuam) revenues, which averaged $700.8M per year. See Chart 1 for the trend of property taxes. 6

10 Chart 1: Guam Property Tax Revenues for FY 2012 to 2016 $19,225,091 Property Taxes $23,263,150 $21,263,267 $28,032,500 $26,320, Before Mass Re Appraisal After Mass Re Appraisal 7

11 Results of Audit Based on the DRT-provided certified tax rolls for 2012 to 2016, we found that although levied property taxes increased by an average of $7.0M after the 2014 mass re-appraisal, GovGuam had unrealized revenues averaging $8.5M per year due to revenue leakages and foregone revenues. Revenue leakages are defined as unnoticed losses of revenues due to complications and loopholes in the tax system or business processes, too much discretionary powers of officials, or lack of infrastructure. Foregone revenues are the difference between earnings actually achieved and earnings that could have been achieved due to authorized tax expenditures, such as exemptions, deductions, offsets, credits, abatements, and deferral of tax liabilities. The 2016 average assessed value of all property in Guam for 2016 was $196,281, which is a $59,031 or 43% increase from 2011 s average assessed value of $137,250. Guam s 2016 average residential home value of $196,737 is slightly higher than Guam s overall average assessed value of $196,281. We found that Guam s $196,737 average residential home value is among the lowest in the United States. Coupled with the lowest effective tax rate 4 of 0.17%, Guam s real property tax revenue collections is far less in comparison to the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections in the United States, comprising 31.3%. However, Guam s real property tax revenues accounted for only 3.4% of all tax revenues. With the lost opportunity of increased revenues resulting from low property tax rates, we identified GovGuam s unrealized revenues of $40.1 Million (M) in real property tax revenues for tax years 2012 through 2016, or an average of $8.5M per year, consisting of $18.8M in revenue leakages and $21.3M in foregone revenues. See Table 3 for a summary of the lost revenues identified between tax years 2012 and OPA Report No defined Guam s effective real property tax rate as the average annual property tax calculated as a percentage of the median property value per the 2011 Assessment Tax Roll based on the Tax Foundation data. The 50 states effective tax rates were no longer available in the Tax Foundation website. According to Constance Brinkley-Badgett s article entitled Comparing average property taxes for all 50 states and D.C., published in April 2017 on Credit.com, the effective tax rate is calculated as the average property tax rate as a percentage of average home value for single family homes. 8

12 Table 3: Real Property Tax Unrealized Revenues - Tax Years Type of Property Tax Unrealized Revenue Total Amount ( ) Average Per Year % to Category A. Revenue Leakage 1. Uncollected and/or Delinquent Property Taxes $ 10,507,541 $ 2,101,508 56% 2. Unassessed and/or Unbilled John Doe Properties $ 2,800,734 $ 933, % 3. Unpaid and/or Unbilled Escaped Assessments $ 2,311,021 $ 462,204 12% 4. Unassessed and/or Unbilled CLTC Properties $ 1,926,067 $ 385,213 10% 5. Unassessed and/or Unbilled Condo Units and Townhomes $ 862,249 $ 172,450 5% 6. Questionable Taxable Value Reductions of Properties $ 445,740 $ 148, % Total Revenue Leakage $ 18,853,352 $ 4,203, % B. Foregone Revenues 1. Primary Home Exemption $ 9,897,175 $ 1,979,435 46% 2. Senior Citizen Credits $ 6,644,651 $ 1,328,930 31% 3. A-F Exemptions (Government, Religious, Farm, etc.) $ 3,810,566 $ 762,113 18% 4. Tax Abatements for Qualifying Certificates $ 824,086 $ 164,817 4% 5. Citizens with Disability Credits $ 169,134 $ 33,827 1% Total Foregone Revenues $ 21,345,612 $ 4,269, % Total Unrealized Revenues $ 40,198,964 $ 8,472,656 The revenue leakages totaling $18.8M, or an average of $4.2M annually, were due to: uncollected or delinquent property taxes; unassessed and/or unbilled John Doe properties, unpaid and/or unbilled escaped assessments; unassessed and/or unbilled Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) leased properties; unassessed and/or unbilled condominium units (condo) and townhomes; and questionable taxable value reductions of certain hotel properties. Based on our analysis of the DRT-provided 2016 tax assessment rolls, we also found anomalies that may further add to the revenue leakages, such as minimal appraised values for land and buildings, land with zero appraised values in the tax rolls, and government exemptions granted to properties under named persons or businesses. Additionally, we found information on new residential homes and additional units or renovations to existing homes at the Bureau of Statistics and Plan (BSP) website based on data provided by the Department of Public Works (DPW). Since DPW and DRT systems do not interface, we could not ascertain if these properties are included in DRT s tax assessment rolls, and is another potential source of revenue leakage. We also identified foregone revenues totaling $21.3M, or an average of $4.3M per year, from exemptions, credits, and abatements, which were allowed by existing laws. Some of the claimed exemptions or credit amounts did not have descriptions as to the type of exemption or credit. Mass Re-Appraisal Increased Tax Assessment Values by an average of $7.0M DRT is required by law to re-ascertain the value of all properties in Guam every five years. In the independent Appraiser s June 2015 report, the mass re-appraisal of over 66,176 parcels of Guam real properties was completed and was made effective retrospective as of March Prior to this mass re-appraisal, tax assessments were based on a valuation system completed in 1994, which was over 20 years old. 5 A three-year average was calculated for the John Doe properties since these only started to appear in TY A three-year average was calculated since the reduced taxable property values took effect in TY

13 After the mass re-appraisals in 2014, cumulative property values increased by an average of $3.1 Billion (B) or 25% from $12.4B to $15.5B. This consequently resulted in an increase in levied property taxes by an average of $7.0M or 33%. To arrive at the 2014 figures, we adjusted the overstated values for 12 hotel properties by $2.2B and property tax receivable by $7.8M. See Table 4 below for a summary of the 2012 through 2016 Certified Tax Rolls. 7 Tax Year Table 4: Summary of Certified Tax Rolls for Appraised Values Taxable Appraised (Appraised Value Less Exemptions) Assessed Values (90% or 100% of Appraised Value based on law) Taxable Assessed Values (Assessed Value Less Primary Home Exemption) Property Tax Receivable (Taxable Assessed Value x Land and Building Rate) 2012 $12,290,407,617 $11,391,887,986 $11,391,887,986 $10,271,408,621 $21,076, ,520,524,170 11,588,588,866 11,588,588,866 10,384,314,757 21,568,272 Average (Prior to mass reappraisal) $12,405,465,894 $11,490,238,426 $11,490,238,426 $10,327,861,689 $21,322, ,258,030,461 16,973,805,644 16,973,805,644 15,628,456,069 27,893, ,427,589,709 14,899,838,025 14,899,838,025 13,478,202,779 28,145, ,830,291,466 15,429,599,543 13,886,639,589 12,285,047,530 29,074,011 Average (After mass reappraisal) $15,505,303,879 $15,767,747,737 $15,253,427,753 $13,797,235,459 $28,371,045 Dollar Increase $3,099,837,985 $4,277,509,311 $3,763,189,327 $3,469,373,770 $7,048,605 Percentage Increase 25% 37% 33% 34% 33% Guam is Among the Lowest in Property Values and has the Lowest Effective Property Tax Rates in the United States Based on DRT-provided data, Guam s 2016 average assessed value of all property in Guam was $196,281, which is a $59,031 or 43% increase from 2011 s average assessed value of $137,250. Guam s 2016 average property tax was $325 and the average residential home value of $196,737, which is slightly higher than Guam s overall average assessed value of $196,281. We found that the average residential home value of $196,737 is among the lowest in the United States, ranking the 16 th lowest. See Appendix 5 for details. Guam s 2016 effective property tax rate, which is the average annual property tax divided by the average value of residential properties is 0.17%. When compared to the 50 states within the United States and the District of Columbia (D.C.), Guam s effective property tax rate ranks the lowest, followed by Hawaii at 0.32%. We found that the very low effective tax rate is a result of over 5,000 residential properties that are not assessed any property tax and over 25,000 homeowners paying less than $100 in property taxes. These low tax amounts are attributed to credits and exemptions granted, and potential processing errors that are discussed later in this report. See Appendix 6 for a comparison of effective tax rates within the United States, D.C., and Guam. 7 Subsequent to the release of OPA Report No on May 16, 2018, a modification was made to this paragraph on June 15, The TY 2014 appraised value was reduced by $2.2B and Property Tax Receivable by $7.8M. Based on DRTprovided data, the taxable appraised value, assessed value, and taxable assessed value remained unadjusted. 10

14 Category According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections in the United States, comprising 31.3%. However, Guam receives an average of 3.4% from property tax revenues in comparison to total tax revenues. See Table 5 for comparison of GovGuam s annual revenues. Tax Revenue Table 5: Comparison of Tax Revenues for FY 2012 to FY % of Total Tax Revenue % of Total Tax Revenue % of Total Tax Revenue % of Total Tax Revenue Income $284,823,341 45% $261,854,651 39% $296,186,624 41% $324,402,392 45% $343,836,465 45% 43% Gross Receipts $221,443,640 35% $221,672,983 33% $238,249,400 33% $226,592,159 31% $238,304,786 31% 33% Section 30 $53,125,949 8% $96,104,113 14% $87,998,215 12% $71,446,424 10% $78,467,450 10% 11% Hotel Occupancy % of Total $26,054,476 4% $29,331,058 4% $34,362,256 5% $36,988,454 5% $40,864,063 5% 5% Property $19,225,091 3% $21,263,267 3% $23,263,150 3% $28,032,500 4% $26,320,474 3% 3% Tobacco $17,055,970 3% $19,615,319 3% $20,960,702 3% $19,722,736 3% $20,104,227 3% 3% Liquid Fuel Alcoholic Beverages $9,831,039 2% $9,825,967 1% $9,791,970 1% $9,931,635 1% $10,051,209 1% 1% $2,485,550 0% $780,319 0% $2,207,886 0% $2,778,336 0% $2,895,727 0% 0% Excise $2,459,927 0% $2,725,994 0% $3,462,817 0% $2,690,851 0% $2,937,715 0% 0% Limited Gaming $0 0% $0 0% $0 0% $0 0% $1,505,520 0% 0% Total $636,504, % $663,173, % $716,483, % $722,585, % $765,287, % 100% Avg.% of Total Taxes Fatal Flaw with PIN Creation in DRT and DLM Systems DRT s Real Property Tax System was converted from the Legacy System (AS 400) to the Guam Property Assessment System Aumentum in January Similarly, DLM s old Uniface system was converted into LandWeb System. Typically, DLM inputs a map for a certain property into the LandWeb system, which will automatically create a PIN and interface with DRT s Aumentum system. However, since January 2012, DLM is unable to input any new land instruments pertaining to multi-family dwelling (i.e., condominium units, townhomes, etc.) properties into the LandWeb system, because the system is unable to generate PINs for these properties. According to RPT personnel, PINs are necessary to add a property into the tax assessment roll so that the property could be assessed and billed. According to DLM personnel, the provider was supposed to prepare for the entry of condominiums on the LandWeb, but it was halted because neither DRT nor DLM has an existing maintenance contract with the provider. There was a lack of aggressive follow up by DRT and DLM to correct this fatal flaw in the system that has been known since In OPA Report No , we noted that the maintenance agreement for the system had expired in January Subsequently, at our exit meetings with both DRT and DLM, it was agreed that 11

15 DLM is primarily responsible for executing a maintenance contract with the local provider. To reiterate, the LandWeb system is a proprietary software, locally developed with no similar clients prior to its installation. Since there is no existing service contract, the system has not been updated since its installation. Until the issue of creating PINs is resolved, tax assessment rolls will be incomplete and inaccurate and GovGuam will continue to lose property tax revenues. $18.8M in Property Tax Revenue Leakages or $4.2M Annually We found six primary sources of potential and quantifiable revenue leakages from tax years 2012 to 2016: (1) Uncollected and/or Delinquent Property Taxes (2) Unassessed and/or Unbilled John Doe Properties (3) Unpaid and/or Unbilled Escaped Assessments (4) Unassessed and/or Unbilled CLTC Properties (5) Unassessed and/or Unbilled Condominium Units and Townhomes (6) Questionable Taxable Value Reductions of Certain Hotel Properties More than half of the revenue leakages were due to uncollected and/or delinquent property taxes. See Table 6 below. Table 6: Property Tax Revenue Leakages for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Category Uncollected Property Tax 2. Unidentified Owners (John Doe) 3. Escaped Assessments Total Amount % of Total $10.5M in Uncollected /Delinquent Property Taxes Property taxes become due and payable every December 15, with installment payments due on February 20 and April 20 of the following year. Failure to pay on the due dates results in the taxes becoming delinquent. Per 11 GCA (Notice) to (Auction of Unpaid Real Property Taxes), a 90-day notice shall be given before the tax collector shall deed the property to the government pursuant to 11 GCA By April 1 of each year, the tax collector shall notify the listed owner, his representative, and all of its known heirs by publication by placing a Delinquency Notice and 9 A three-year average was calculated for the John Doe properties since these only started to appear in TY A three-year average was calculated since the reduced taxable property values took effect in TY Average $892,281 $1,180,962 $2,240,352 $2,312,637 $3,881,309 $10,507,541 56% $2,101,508 $ - $ - $951,186 $956,436 $893,112 $2,800,734 15% $933,578 9 $111,224 $13,493 $3,672 $89,933 $2,092,699 $2,311,021 12% $462, CLTC Properties $128,741 $126,046 $101,217 $824,554 $745,509 $1,926,067 10% $385, Condo Units $123,869 $123,869 $123,869 $128,311 $362,331 $862,249 5% $172, Taxable Value Reductions Total Revenue Leakage $ - $ - $148,580 $148,580 $148,580 $445,740 2% $148, $1,256,115 $1,444,370 $3,568,876 $4,460,451 $8,123,540 $18,853, % $4,203,534

16 Termination of the Right of Redemption in a public area in each municipality and indicating the date of termination and the right of redemption. If the taxes remain unpaid and the upon expiration of the redemption period, the property should become sold to the government every July 6 and deeded in favor of the government or the property may be placed for public auction for sale. However, this was not enforced by DRT due to improvements needed in statute to enforce collections. Therefore, many taxpayers have not promptly paid their property taxes. One of DRT s short-term goals is to efficiently serve the 90-day notice letters, as well as process and record deeds for non-payment of taxes. According to 11 GCA 24204, property taxes which remain unpaid after ten years will conclusively be presumed to have been paid. DRT-RPT personnel acknowledged that there was limited monitoring of unpaid property taxes including unpaid escaped assessments and no extensive collection effort has been exerted because the division does not have a collection staff. In OPA Report No , DRT replied that it has not exercised its enforcement ability to auction delinquent properties due to: undivided interest of unsettled estates, ownership disputes, and land rich but money poor owners. During our discussion, DRT emphasized that their auction process was halted because a law requires DRT to first promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Adjudication Law to auction properties. OPA noted that P.L authorizes DRT to administratively take action to collect and resolve delinquent property taxes subject to duly adopted regulations. Based on the DRT-provided collection report, of the assessed taxes for tax years 2012 to 2016, unpaid property taxes totaled $17.2M as of September 30, However, this figure differed by $2.9M from a separately provided Delinquent List, which reported $14.3M (inclusive of CLTC and John Doe properties). See Tables 7 and 8 below. Table 7: Uncollected Property Taxes per Collection Report Tax Year Tax Receivable ( Tax Due) per Certified Roll Collected for Tax Years as of 9/30/17 Unpaid Tax as of 9/30/ $ 21,076,609 $ 19,261,651 $ 1,814, $ 21,568,272 $ 19,197,208 $ 2,371, $ 27,893,194 $ 24,172,306 $ 3,720, $ 28,145,931 $ 24,393,637 $ 3,752, $ 29,074,004 $ 23,488,499 $ 5,585,505 Total $ 127,758,010 $ 110,513,301 $ 17,244,709 Table 8: Uncollected Property Taxes per Delinquent List Tax Year Inclusive of John Does & CLTC Properties Exclusive of John Does & CLTC Properties 2012 $ 1,021,068 $ 892, $ 1,307,055 $ 1,180, $ 3,030,796 $ 2,240, $ 3,700,848 $ 2,312, $ 5,280,429 $ 3,881,309 Total $ 14,340,196 $ 10,507, This excludes the $7.8M overstatement of tax receivable due to the overstatement of appraised values of 12 hotel properties, which DRT subsequently adjusted in the 2015 tax rolls. 13

17 The Delinquent List as of September 30, 2017, involved 11,737 taxpayers. For the top 50 delinquent taxpayers alone (inclusive of CLTC and John Doe properties), unpaid property taxes amounted to $6.7M, or 47% of the total delinquent amount. Some of these taxpayers were consistently delinquent for three to five years. One taxpayer provided a copy of a billing of $0.38 in delinquent taxes from 1991; however, we could not locate the taxpayer s property on the delinquent list provided by DRT nor any of the tax assessment rolls from 2012 to $2.8M in Unbilled/Unidentified Property Owners (John Doe) From Tax Years 2014 to 2016, DRT identified an average of 6,684 properties with unknown taxpayers, which are tagged in the Tax Rolls as John Doe. The average appraised value of these properties amounted to $1B, which resulted in total tax due of $3.3M in three years. The John Doe properties started to appear in the tax rolls after the mass re-appraisals in 2014, resulting from the new Parcel Identification Numbers (PIN) that were added to the 2014 tax assessment rolls. As a result, DRT staff has been reviewing accounts individually with actual physical land management documents. See Table 9 below for the summary of John Doe properties identified in the 2014 to 2016 tax rolls. Table 9: Properties with John Doe Taxpayers Tax Year Tax Year Property Count Total Assessed Total Tax Value Due Per Roll ,006 $1,137,016,941 $1,122, ,789 $1,067,494,518 $1,156, ,256 $897,977,517 $1,069,773 Total 20,051 $3,102,488,976 $3,348,815 Average 6,684 $1,034,162,992 $1,116,271 While the 2014 to 2016 tax rolls identified $3.3M in taxes due from John Doe properties, we noted that the tax rolls were not reliable, as some John Doe properties appeared to be non-taxable properties. However, when we compared the listing of John Doe properties in the separate DRTprovided Delinquency List with those in the tax rolls, we identified additional John Doe properties with taxes amounting to $726K in the tax rolls that did not appear to have been assessed property taxes. With DRT s Aumentum system unable to identify property owners, DRT is unable to send billings and collect taxes due for these properties, if taxable. See Table 10 below lost revenues from John Doe properties. 14

18 Table 10: Unbilled and Unassessed John Doe Properties for Tax Years 2014 to 2016 DRT Delinquency Lists DRT Tax Rolls TOTAL Tax Total No. of No of Year Uncollected/ PIN PIN No. of PIN Total Unassessed Total Revenue Leakage Tax Receivable ,608 $ 689, $ 261,959 3,896 $ 951, ,627 $ 697, $ 258,569 3,910 $ 956, ,528 $ 687, $205,694 3,747 $ 893,112 Total 10,763 $ 2,074, $ 726,222 11,553 $ 2,800,734 $2.3M in Unpaid Escaped Assessments (EA) Per 11 GCA (Property Not Previously Assessed), if a property has an escaped assessment (EA) in one or more prior years, the assessor shall assess the property at its value on the first Monday of March of every such year and entered on the roll followed with escaped assessment and the year(s) of such EA. Escaped Assessment is a correction made on a tax roll for a taxable property that should have been assessed, but no assessment was previously made and therefore, tax was not collected. We could not find any EA notations in the DRT-provided tax rolls, and we were instead provided supplemental EA listings. We found escaped assessments for new buildings and multi-family dwelling properties (i.e., condominium units and townhomes) due to the Aumentum and LandWeb s inability to generate PINs since DRT s inability to detect new properties is also due to the lack of interface with DLM and DPW s systems. The EAs for new buildings and condominium units were mostly detected when taxpayers applied for building permits or made an inquiry on properties. When EAs are detected, DRT calculates the assessment for prior years and separately bills the taxpayers. Based on the DRT-provided EA listings for Tax Years , 1,600 new buildings were constructed with a total appraised value of $1.1B and a corresponding building tax of $3.9M. Of the total new buildings constructed, 174 had EAs from 2012 to However, as of September 30, 2017, 174 properties had EAs from 2012 to 2016, and 141 had a remaining unpaid balance of $2.3M. We did not calculate EAs from 1995 to 2011, as this is not within the scope of the audit. See Table 11 below. 15

19 Table 11: Unpaid Escaped Assessments for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 No. of No. of Total Unpaid Tax EA Appraised Building No. of EA New Assessed Value Unpaid EA as of Year Years Value Tax Properties Bldgs. EA 9/30/ $145,680,433 $145,680,433 $509, $111, $13, $105,824,307 $105,824,307 $370, $110,469,232 $110,469,232 $385, $3, $177,618,067 $159,856,260 $621, $89, $563,737,796 $507,223,634 $1,972, $2,092,699 Total 1,600 $1,103,329,835 $1,029,053,866 $3,859, $2,311, The data at Table 11 does not include the 2016 EAs for multi-family dwelling properties, which is discussed separately below. $1.9M in Unbilled and Unassessed Chamorro Land Trust (CLTC) Real Property Inventory Title 11 GCA (a) (Exemptions) exempts real properties owned by the United States and GovGuam, except for the interest of a lessee or licensee in land owned and leased or licensed by the Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC). Per 21 GCA 75108(g), (Condition in Leases) original leases shall be exempt from all taxes for the first seven years from the date of the lease. Some CLTC properties have agricultural, residential, and commercial leases. In May 2016, the DRT and DLM directors executed an MOA to define the responsibilities of the two agencies about providing mutual assistance and cooperative sharing of real property information each agency collects. The MOA requires DLM to provide a weekly update of all recorded land property transactions to DRT, which shall be accompanied by a listing of information. The listing includes among others, 1) survey map (containing the basic and new PIN, parcel description, and owner s name); 2) CLTC and GALC leases and licenses; and 3) horizontal property regime registers (including parcel description, PIN, owner s name and address). Per DRT, they only receive documents that are not accompanied with the listing of information and they were not provided with updated lists of leased CLTC and GALC properties. The MOA requires DRT to provide DLM a certified tax roll in an electronic format for all properties assessed including CLTC and GALC properties. In addition, DRT has to provide DLM monthly payment updates on all CLTC and GALC properties including the respective PINs. According to DLM, these requirements were not provided by DRT. Based on our interviews with the two agencies, most provisions of the MOA were not enforced by both agencies. Based on the DRT-provided Tax Rolls, there is an average of 2,197 properties with an average appraised value of $280.3M that are registered under the Chamorro Land Trust Commission. The 12 This is a conservative amount because credit balances were not considered in the calculation. Credit balances may have resulted in payments applied to the principal unpaid balance, which includes interest and penalties, but no breakdown was provided for these payments. 16

20 total property taxes per DRT s tax rolls amounted to $1.5M. According to DRT, a portion of these property taxes are included in the exemption amounts discussed later in this report. Refer to Table 12 for a summary of CLTC properties. Table 12: CLTC Real Properties per Tax Rolls for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Tax Year Property Count Appraised Value Assessed Value Total Tax ,187 $ 23,205, $ 194,013,305 $ 216, ,237 $ 239,124,704 $ 239,124,704 $ 215, ,177 $ 166,735,083 $ 164,370,245 $ 159, ,200 $ 164,560,093 $ 161,795,255 $ 155, ,184 $ 550,782,266 $ 493,026,694 $ 758,599 Total 10,985 $ 1,144,408,012 $ 1,252,330,203 $ 1,506,100 Average 2,197 $ 280,300, $ 250,466,040 $ 301,220 In comparison, the DRT-provided Delinquency Report as of September 30, 2017 reflected $1.8M or $252K more, in total unpaid/delinquent property taxes for CLTC properties. Therefore, the tax roll does not appear to be complete. DLM claimed that they were not regularly provided with tax assessment rolls and updates of tax payments by DRT as provided in the MOA. Therefore, DLM is unable to follow-up with the Lessee of the property for the unpaid taxes. Additionally, based on the DLM-provided data, there were leased properties for Residential (53), Commercial (6), and Agricultural (116) purposes, which DRT confirmed were not included in the Aumentum system and therefore, were not assessed and billed. This amounted to an additional revenue leakage of $168K. Our calculation is based on the data and project values provided by DLM as there is no available appraised values for these properties on DRT s tax rolls. DRT still has to appraise the properties to determine the true taxable value. DRT claimed that DLM did not provide them a listing of CLTC leased properties and that DLM merely sends documents to DRT, which DRT reviews and inputs into their system. DRT considered the process inefficient, as there is a duplication of efforts. This process could be avoided if DLM and DRT s systems interfaced. See Table 13 for the breakdown of revenue leakages from CLTC properties. Table 13: CLTC Property Tax Revenue Leakages for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Total Total Tax Property Unpaid/ Residential Commercial Agricultural Revenue Year Count Delinquent Lease Lease Lease Leakage Tax ,687 $ 128,741 $ - $ - $ - $ 128, ,685 $ 126,046 $ - $ - $ - $ 126, $ 101,217 $ - $ - $ - $ 101, ,440 $ 690,345 $ 13,348 $ 6,315 $ 114,546 $ 824, ,611 $ 711,702 $ 3,421 $ 1,626 $ 28,760 $ 745,509 Total 11,245 $ 1,758,051 $ 16,769 $ 7,941 $ 143,306 $ 1,926, The appraised value provided in the 2012 tax assessment roll was for building only. 14 The average appraised value is calculated for tax years 2013 to 2016 only, because the 2012 appraised values is for building only. 17

21 $862K in Untaxed Multi-Family Dwelling Properties According to RPT staff, several multi-family dwelling properties (i.e., condominium units and townhomes) and additions to existing units since 2012 cannot be taxed due to the lack of PINs. The exact total number of multi-family dwelling properties constructed since 2012 could not be determined since DLM and DPW data on constructed properties do not interface with DRT s system. For example, for two condominium properties alone, 100 PINs are necessary to tax the properties in their entirety. Consequently, neither DRT nor DLM has a complete inventory of all real properties in the entire island of Guam. With the absence of system interface among these agencies, DRT s annual tax assessment rolls will be incomplete and inaccurate, which will result in significant loss of property tax revenues. Based on the Horizontal Property Regime Register of condominiums and townhouses provided by DLM, there were 169 listed owners/developers. Of the 169 listed, 30 properties were found in the 2016 tax roll. Of the 747 units within these 30 properties, 639 units were not found in the 2016 tax roll. Of the 639 units that could not be identified in the 2016 tax roll, RPT staff confirmed that 287 units were taxed and 189 units did not have assessed values from which to base revenue leakage calculations on. As a result, we could only estimate revenue leakage for 163 units. The total estimated property tax for the 163 units in 2016 alone amounted to $143K. In 2016, DRT identified two additional properties with 125 units and a total tax due of $219K. Altogether, we estimate revenue leakage of $862K for 288 units between tax years 2012 and See Table 14. Table 14: Untaxed Condominium Units for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Tax Year No. of Untaxed Units Tax Amount $ 123, $ 123, $ 123, $ 128, $ 362,330 Total $ 862,249 With 30 of 169 properties found in the 2016 tax roll, the remaining 139 properties were referred to DRT for verification. Of the 139 properties, 15 properties with 707 units are still pending DRT s verification. If found to be untaxed, these will increase the revenue leakage amounts. According to DRT, the remaining 124 properties were already taxed or duplicates. Through this verification process with DRT, we found that DRT-RPT could not establish the exact number of condominium units and other new constructions that remain untaxed due to the lack of interface with DLM and DPW systems. DLM s Horizontal Property Regime Register and DRT s tax rolls should be periodically reconciled, to ensure new condominium units, townhomes, and new constructions are captured in the tax rolls and assessed accordingly. DRT stated that it will crosscheck their appraisal listings with the ProVal and Aumentum systems to verify if they are taxing all new constructions since

22 $446K in Significant Taxable Value Reductions After the mass re-appraisals in 2014, but prior to the adjustments due to overstated appraised values, property values on average increased by $3.8 Billion (B) or 31% and property taxes increased by an average of $9.6M or 45%. The DRT certified appraised values in 2014 was adjusted by $2.2B and the tax receivable by $7.8M due to the overstated values for 12 hotel properties. The overstatements were adjusted in the 2015 and subsequent tax assessment rolls. However, for three hotel properties, instead of upward adjustments from their previously recorded appraised values, there were significant reductions to their property values. These reductions reduced the property taxes by $446K from 2014 to See Table 15 below. 15 Table 15: Reduced Appraised Values for Hotels Appraised Values Tax Amount Total Tax Taxpayer Reduction Reduction Reduction Per Year Per Year ( ) Hotel 1 $12,240,000 $8,357,860 $3,882,140 $89,536 $29,253 $60,283 $180,848 Hotel 2 36,231,130 27,969,146 8,261, ,809 97,892 28,917 86,751 Hotel 3 28,648,734 11,683,275 16,965, ,271 40,891 59, ,140 Total $77,119,864 $48,010,281 $29,109,583 $316,616 $168,036 $148,580 $445,740 DRT-RPT was unaware of the reduction in values. Reduction in values should be subject to review and approval of the BOE. 16 Other Possible Revenue Leakages In addition to the revenue leakages identified above, we found other possible areas where GovGuam may be losing property tax revenues, which should be further investigated by DRT. These areas are: Guam Ancestral Lands Commission (GALC) properties not included in DRT s Aumentum system; New residential house constructions and additions to existing units; Current market values not being used to assess real property taxes; and Anomalies in the 2016 tax rolls. From tax years 2012 through 2016, we estimated total revenue leakage of $2.8M, primarily from new home constructions and additions/renovations to existing units. The total revenue leakage may be greater; however, as information is not available to estimate the revenue leakage from GALC properties. See Table 16 below. 15 Subsequent to the release of OPA Report No on May 16, 2018, a modification was made to this paragraph on June 15, Subsequent to the release of OPA Report No on May 16, 2018, a modification was made to this paragraph on June 15,

23 Table 16: Summary of Other Possible Revenue Leakages Estimated Revenue Leakage Areas of Possible Revenue Leakage A. Guam Ancestral Land Commissions (GALC) Unknown properties not included in DRT s Aumentum System B. New Residential House Constructions and Additions $2,573,074 to Existing Units C. Current Market Values Not Being Used to Assess Unknown Real Property Taxes D. Anomalies in the 2016 Tax Rolls $ 185,843 Total Other Revenue Leakages $ 2,758,917 GALC Properties not Included in DRT s Aumentum System Public Law No granted real property tax immunity to the original landowners, their estate or their heirs on the return of federal excess lands. The immunity immediately ceases when free and direct access or use of returned property is acquired by the landowners and is officially recorded with the DLM. Per the 2016 tax rolls, there are 45 GALC properties with total appraised value of $59.8M, all of which were exempted. However, DLM provided a list of eight properties with commercial leases with a projected value of $11.4M, which are not in DRT s Aumentum system. DRT will determine if there are commercial buildings in these properties, which are privately owned, which will then be taxed. $2.6 M in New Residential Home Constructions and Additions to Existing Units In the previous audit (OPA Report No.13-03), we reported that DRT has no way of knowing when new constructions and renovations occur. According to DRT staff, DRT s system does not interface with DPW s data for new constructions and additions/renovations to existing units. Previously, DRT viewed permits for new construction in the AS 400, but that access is no longer possible with the Aumentum system. We learned from DPW that they issue an annual report to the Bureau of Statistics and Plan on construction permits issued for new construction and additions to existing units. Data gathered showed that from 2012 to 2016, there were 1,224 new units constructed and 1,116 additional units constructed. This translates to approximately $2.6M in property taxes. However, we could not ascertain if these properties were included in the tax rolls due to the problem with PIN creations since 2012 and the lack of interface between DRT and DPW. See Table 17 below. Table 17: New and Additions to Existing Residential Homes New Addition Estimated Tax Total Value Property Year Number Construction Number Construction of Units Value of Units Value Tax $ 35,732, $ 4,406,000 $40,138,000 $ 702, $ 51,628, $ 4,938,000 $56,566,000 $ 791, $ 36,088, $ 7,294,000 $43,382,000 $ 455, $ 42,349, $10,692,000 $53,041,000 $ 371, $ 60,768, $11,214,000 $71,982,000 $ 251,937 Total 1,224 $226,565,000 1,116 $38,544,000 $265,109,000 $2,573,074 20

24 The Bureau of Statistics and Plan s annual report did not reflect any condominium units constructed since 2012, which conflicts with DLM s Horizontal Property Regime Register. Current Market Values Not Being Used to Assess Real Property Taxes Consistent with our prior audit (OPA Report No ), current market values based on the actual sales, new constructions, and renovations are not being used to assess real property taxes, resulting in unrealized revenues. Per our discussion with DRT, they are unable to implement the adjustments of property values to current market values because DRT is required to use the last completed valuation per 11 GCA to calculate property taxes. Anomalies in the 2016 Tax Roll Based on our assessment of the 2016 tax rolls we also found anomalies that may further add to the revenue leakage, such as the following: a. Of 573 properties with minimal land-appraised values ranging from $1 to $150, 13 belong to individuals or corporations. b. We found 96 buildings owned by individuals and businesses having minimal appraised values ranging from $26 to $9,984. Of the 96 properties, 32 have no or $0 appraised values of the land where the building is constructed and four properties are owned by businesses. c. There were 1,176 properties granted exemptions as government properties. Of the total, 392 were private properties owned by individuals, businesses, and financial institutions with total exemptions of $21M and tax credits of $13K. However, there was no explanation as to how these individuals, businesses, and financial institutions can be classified as government properties. In addition, we were unable to calculate the potential property tax of the exempted amounts without a breakdown of how much of the exemptions applied to land and building. Therefore, we can only conservatively include the $13K as possible revenue leakage. See Table18 below. Table 18: Private Properties with Government Exemptions Property Type Owners Property Total Assessed Total Tax Total Total Count Value Amount Exemptions Credits Individuals 304 $ 10,631,604 $676 $10,417,328 $8,379 Businesses/Corporations 85 $11,098,349 $1,627 $10,529,562 $4,767 Financial Institutions 3 $15,085 $0 $15,085 $0 Total 392 $21,745,038 $2,303 $20,961,975 $13,146 d. There were 816 properties in the 2016 tax roll with tax credits, but without corresponding details as to the types of credit taken. Of the 816 properties, 714 properties are owned by individuals, businesses, and financial institutions, while the government owns the remaining 102. We found possible revenue leakage of $173K for the properties owned by individuals, businesses, and financial institutions without a description of the type of credit taken. See Table 19 below. 21

25 Table 19: Tax Credits without Description of Type of Credit Taken Property Type Owners Property Total Assessed Total Tax Total Total Count Value Due Exemptions Credits Individuals 696 $126,728,107 $345,067 $2,194,195 $167,731 Businesses/Corporations 13 $5,083,957 $10,608 0 $4,158 Financial Institutions 5 $658,356 $1,993 0 $807 Total 714 $132,470,420 $357,668 $2,194,195 $172,697 e. Similar to the properties without details on the type of credit taken, we also found 989 properties in the 2016 tax roll with exemption amounts, but no details as to the type of exemption taken. Of the 989 properties, we found 849 are John Does, right of ways/government easements, and CLTC properties; which were excluded from our analysis. The remaining 140 properties, however, were owned by individuals and a corporation with total exemptions of $16.9M. We were unable to calculate the potential property tax of the exempted amounts without a breakdown of how much of the exemptions applied to land and building. See Table 20 below. Table 20: Tax Exemptions without Description of Type of Exemption Taken Type of Ownership Property Count Total Assessed Value Total Tax Due Total Exemptions Individual 139 $34,256,199 $58,063 $16,858,301 Corporation 1 $451,389 $1,402 $29 Total 140 $34,707,588 $59,465 $16,858,330 Efficiencies in System and Assessment Collection Process Needed As mentioned previously, revenue leakages occurred due to the following: 1. DRT did not effectively monitor uncollected property taxes or aggressively collect on delinquent taxes including EAs due to the absence of collection staff and improvement needed in statute to enforce collections. 2. Inability of DRT systems to identify all owners of new properties (John Does) added after the 2014 mass revaluation; 3. The existing systems inability to create PINs, especially for multi-family dwelling properties due to the absence of a maintenance contract with the systems provider; 4. DRT, DLM, and DPW s systems do not interface; and 5. DRT and DLM did not strictly adhere to the MOA. Therefore, we make the following recommendations for DRT and DLM. For the DRT Director To: 1. Immediately settle the PIN issue with the systems provider and strive to identify, correct, and update tax assessment records of all real properties on Guam. 2. Enforce remedies provided by law particularly on deeding and auctioning of delinquent properties. If needed, DRT should submit legislation to allow them to auction properties. 3. Request BOE to review and approve the reduction in values of real property. 4. Strictly enforce the MOA by providing DLM the certified tax roll for property taxes assessed for CLTC properties. 22

26 5. Establish an MOA with DPW pertaining to the coordination of information for new constructions and renovations. 6. Coordinate a solution to ensure that information on real properties interface with each other to capture all taxable properties and levy taxes on them. For the DLM Director To: 1. Immediately settle the PIN issue with the service provider. 2. Strictly enforce the MOA by providing DRT information pertaining to CLTC leases. $21.3M in Foregone Property Tax Revenues or $4.3M Annually In addition to the $18.8M in revenue leakages identified, property tax exemptions, credits, and abatements further reduced GovGuam property tax revenues by $21.3M for tax years 2012 through These foregone revenues allowed by law were: $9.9M in home exemptions, $3.8M in exemptions for government owned properties, public roads and educational and religious properties, farm, etc. (11 GCA 24401(a) through (f)); $6.6M in tax credits for senior citizens; $169K in exemptions for citizens with disabilities; and $824K in tax abatements for GEDA Qualifying Certificates (QC). See Table 21 below for details. Table 21: Foregone Property Tax Revenues for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Category Total Average % A. Primary Home $1,726,439 $1,821,808 $2,312,773 $2,003,589 $2,032,566 $9,897,175 $1,979,435 46% B. A-F Exemptions 940, , , , ,657 3,810, ,113 18% Total Exemptions 2,666,751 2,798,796 2,945,720 2,688,251 2,608,222 13,707,740 2,741,548 64% C. Senior Citizens Credits 1,078,039 1,201,474 1,405,564 1,495,018 1,464,556 6,644,651 1,328,930 31% D. Citizens w/ Disabilities 21,191 23,299 39,638 42,876 42, ,134 33,826 1% Credits Total Credits 1,099,229 1,224,773 1,445,202 1,537,895 1,506,686 6,813,785 1,362,757 32% E. Total Tax Abated 255, , , , , , ,817 4% Total Foregone Revenues $4,021,340 $4,190,362 $4,524,909 $4,360,133 $4,248,868 $21,345,612 4,269, % The primary home exemptions and senior citizens credits comprised 77% of the total foregone revenues, 46% and 31%, respectively. This was followed by A-F exemptions (18%), Tax abatements (4%), and Citizens with Disabilities Credits (1%). See below for more details on the various exemptions and credits. $9.9M in Primary Home Exemptions 11 GCA granted each homeowner a $50,000 exemption from the appraised value of improvements. For tax years 2012 to 2016, total home exemptions totaled $9.9M. See Table 22 below. 23

27 Tax Year Table 22: Primary Home Exemptions for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Assessed Values Tax Amount Land Building Total 24 Land Tax Building Tax Total Tax Exemptions 2012 $8,516,845 $491,026,613 $499,543,458 $7,453 $1,718,987 $1,726, ,136, ,363, ,500,318 7,120 1,814,688 1,821, ,145, ,854, ,000,092 6,252 2,306,521 2,312, ,330, ,490, ,821,414 6,415 1,997,174 2,003, ,443, ,048, ,492,245 6,264 2,026,301 2,032,566 Total $37,572,963 $2,759,784,563 $2,797,357,527 $33,504 $9,863,672 $9,897,175 Average $7,514,593 $551,956,913 $559,471,505 $6,701 $1,972,734 $1,979,435 The primary home exemptions, which comprised 46%, or the largest of the total foregone revenues, has been steadily increasing, from $1.7M in 2012 to $2.0M in $6.6M in Senior Citizen Credits 11 GCA provides that Senior Citizens shall pay real property tax on personal residential property at twenty percent (20%) of the yearly real estate tax based on the latest five year tax assessment. For Tax Years total tax credits granted to senior citizens totaled $6.6M. According to DRT, the appraised values of these properties remain frozen pursuant to 11 GCA 24113, despite the increase in values after the 2014 mass re-appraisals and any improvement constructed on the properties. In addition, DRT has not done a mass reverification to determine if the owners of these properties are still alive or there has been a change of ownership. See Table 23 below. Tax Year Table 23: Senior Citizen Credit for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Assessed Values Land Building Total Land Tax Building Tax Tax Amount Total Tax Senior Credits (80%) 2012 $299,080,024 $ 310,169,941 $ 609,249,965 $ 261,705 $ 1,085,844 $ 1,347,548 $ 1,078, $321,086,260 $ 348,743,509 $ 669,829,769 $ 280,961 $ 1,220,882 $ 1,501,843 $ 1,201, $369,208,282 $ 409,587,883 $ 778,796,165 $ 323,069 $ 1,433,886 $ 1,756,955 $ 1,405, $383,726,063 $ 437,899,734 $ 821,625,797 $ 335,772 $ 1,533,000 $ 1,868,773 $ 1,495, $322,798,484 $ 390,050,515 $ 712,848,999 $ 313,832 $ 1,516,863 $ 1,830,695 $ 1,464,556 Total $1,695,899,113 $1,896,451,582 $ 3,592,350,695 $ 1,515,339 $ 6,790,475 $ 8,305,814 $ 6,644,651 Average $339,179,823 $379,290,316 $718,470,139 $303,068 $1,358,095 $1,661,163 $ 1,328,930 The senior citizens credit totaling $6.6M is the second largest exemption or 31% of the total foregone revenues allowed in law. Similar to the primary home exemptions, this credit continues to increase, going from $1.1M in 2012 to $1.5M in $3.8M in Exemptions Granted to Government Properties, Public Roads, Religious and Educational Purposes, Cemetery, Farm, Etc. (A-F Exemptions) Based on 11 GCA (a) through (f), exemptions are granted for real properties owned by the United States and GovGuam, public roads and easements, properties used for educational,

28 religious and eleemosynary purposes, cemetery not used for profit, lands where construction of buildings is prohibited and property used for farming for at least eight months. This law also granted exemptions to private lands used by the government. For tax years Total exemptions granted for these properties amounted to $3.8M, which comprised 18% of the total foregone revenues. See table 24 below for a summary of the A-F exemptions provided by DRT. Table 24: Exemptions for Government, Public Roads, Religious & Educational, Farm Properties (A-F Exemptions) for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Tax Assessed Assessed Assessed Building Total Tax Land Tax Year Land Building Total Tax Exemption 2012 $839,840,612 $ 58,679,019 $898,519,631 $734,887 $205,424 $940, $870,423,823 $ 61,511,481 $931,935,304 $761,649 $215,340 $976, $410,249,657 $ 78,258,098 $488,507,755 $358,982 $273,966 $632, $442,876,577 $ 84,875,107 $527,751,684 $387,531 $297,131 $684, $283,462,315 $ 77,160,416 $360,622,731 $275,588 $300,068 $575,657 Total $2,846,852,984 $360,484,121 $3,207,337,105 $2,518,637 $1,291,929 $3,810,566 Average $569,370,597 $72,096,824 $641,467,421 $503,727 $258,386 $762,113 We requested a detailed breakdown of the A-F exemptions summary provided by DRT, however, as of the date of this report, the data was submitted, but we are unable to reconcile. $824K in Tax Abatements for GEDA QCs From tax years 2012 through 2016, DRT granted tax abatements totaling $824K to two QC beneficiaries. Per documents submitted by DRT, the abatement granted to Beneficiary 1 in February 2007 had expired in The property tax abatement granted to Beneficiary 2 in September 2007 is for a period of ten years, which will expire in See Table 25 below. Table 25: Property Tax Abatements for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Tax Assessed Assessed Assessed Building Total Tax Beneficiary Beneficiary Land Tax Year Land Building Total Tax Abated $22,482,194 $67,324,000 $89,806,194 $19,673 $235,688 $255,361 $166,792 $88, ,082,194 44,624,000 56,706,194 10, , , ,792 N/A ,907,920 34,047,060 50,954,980 14, , , ,987 N/A ,907,920 34,047,060 50,954,980 14, , , ,987 N/A ,217,128 30,642,354 45,859,482 14, , , ,959 N/A Total $83,597,356 $210,684,474 $294,281,830 $74,629 $749,457 $824,086 $735, $88,569 $169K in Citizens with Disability Credits According to 11 GCA 24112, U.S. citizens with disabilities and heads of households with dependents with disabilities shall pay a real property tax for family residential property at twenty percent (20%) of the yearly real estate tax based on the latest five year tax assessment. Similar to senior citizens, property values remain frozen from the first year of eligibility until the taxpayer passes away. For tax years 2012 to 2016, total tax credits amounted to $169K. Like with the senior citizens credits, there has been no determination as to the current condition of taxpayers granted this credit or change of ownership. See Table 26 below. 25

29 Tax Year Table 26: Citizens with Disability Credits for Tax Years 2012 to 2016 Assessed Values Tax Amount Land Building Total Land Tax Building Tax Total Tax Disability Credits (80%) 2012 $6,148,474 $6,029,559 $12,178,033 $5,380 $21,108 $26,488 $21, ,339,580 6,734,546 13,074,126 5,547 23,576 29,124 23, ,347,313 12,316,611 19,663,924 6,429 43,118 49,547 39, ,857,639 13,345,414 21,203,053 6,876 46,720 53,595 42, ,870,789 11,824,109 18,694,898 6,680 45,983 52,663 42,130 Total $34,563,795 $50,250,239 $84,814,034 $30,912 $180,505 $211,417 $169,134 Average $6,912,759 $10,050,048 $16,962,807 $6,182 $36,101 $42,283 $33,826 As these foregone revenues were allowed by law, we urge the Legislature to review the costbenefit of the various exemptions, credits, and abatements. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended greater scrutiny of tax expenditures (credits, exemptions, abatements, etc.) because periodic reviews could help determine how well specific tax expenditures work to achieve their goals and how their benefits and costs compare to those of programs with similar goals. We found there is no official reporting of tax expenditures (such as tax exemptions, deductions, credits, or exclusions) to allow policymakers to ascertain the costbenefit of such preferential tax provisions as called by best practices identified by the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL). See Appendices 7 and 8 for best practices. Therefore, we also urge the Legislature consider the GAO and NCSL best practices for tax expenditure review, budgets, and reports. Additionally, we suggest a review of existing laws to consider: a. Removal of the provision to keep property valuations frozen at their current levels for senior citizens and citizens with disabilities; b. Setting a cap on the appraised values for which primary home exemptions may apply; and c. Setting an expiration on all property exemptions and credits so that eligibility determination may be re-evaluated. 26

30 Conclusion and Recommendations Although levied property taxes increased by an average of $7.0M after the 2014 mass re-appraisal, Guam is still among the lowest in property values and has the lowest effective property tax rate in the nation. In 2016, Guam s average residential home value was $196,737 and ranked 16 th lowest among the 50 states. Guam s effective property tax rate was 0.17% the lowest among the states where the second lowest was Hawaii at 0.32%. According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections in the United States, comprising 31.3%. However, Guam s real property tax revenues accounted for only 3.4% of all tax revenues. Despite the lost opportunity of increased revenues, resulting from low property tax rates, GovGuam could have generated more revenues from property taxes with efficient systems and assessment and collection processes. We found that the Government of Guam had unrealized property tax revenues of $40.2M in real property tax revenues due to revenue leakages and foregone revenues for tax years 2012 through 2016, or an average of $8.5M per year. The unrealized revenues of $18.8M stemmed from: Unpaid/delinquent property taxes of $10.5M (56%); Unassessed and or unbilled unidentified (John Doe) property owners of $2.8M (15%); Unpaid Escape Assessments of $2.3M (12%); Unassessed and or unbilled property taxes for CLTC leased properties of $1.9M (10%); Unassessed and or unbilled new and or additional construction of condominium units of $862K (5%); and Questionable reduction in taxable values of hotel properties of $446K (2%). GovGuam also has foregone revenues of $21.3M from tax exemptions, credits, and abatements allowed per law. Of the amount, 77% or $16.5M were due to allowable exemptions claimed for a taxpayer s primary home ($9.9M) and credits granted to senior citizens ($6.6M). There are also other possible revenue leakages from: GALC properties not included in DRT s Aumentum system; New and additional constructions and additions of residential houses since 2012; and Anomalies noted in the tax assessment rolls. The above should be further investigated by DRT as we estimated revenue leakage of $2.6M from tax years 2012 through 2016, of which $186K is considered questioned costs. This amount may be greater; however, as information is not available to estimate the revenue leakage from GALC properties. Revenue leakages occurred due to the following: 1. DRT did not effectively monitor uncollected property taxes or aggressively collect on delinquent property taxes due to improvements needed in statute and lack of collection staff. 27

31 2. Inability of DRT s system to identify all owners of new properties (John Does) added after the 2014 mass revaluation; 3. The existing systems do not have the ability to create PINs, especially for multi-family dwelling properties, such as condominiums and townhomes; 4. DRT, DLM, and DPW s systems do not interface; and 5. DRT and DLM did not strictly adhere to the MOA. Therefore, to reduce revenue leakage and enhance collections, we recommend the following: For the DRT Director To: 1. Immediately settle the PIN issue with the systems provider and strive to identify, correct and update tax assessment records of all real properties on Guam. 2. Enforce remedies provided by law particularly on deeding and auctioning delinquent properties. If needed, DRT should submit legislation to allow them to auction properties. 3. Request BOE to review and approve the reduction in values of real property. 4. Strictly enforce MOA by providing DLM the certified tax roll for property taxes assessed for CLTC properties. 5. Establish an MOA with DPW pertaining to the coordination of information for new constructions and renovations. 6. Coordinate a solution to ensure that information on real properties interface with each other to capture all taxable properties and levy taxes on them. For the DLM Director To: 1. Immediately settle the PIN issue with the service provider. 2. Strictly enforce the MOA by providing DRT information pertaining to CLTC leases. In addition, as even more revenues were unrealized due to credits, exemptions, and abatements, we urge the Legislature to: Review the cost-benefit of these foregone revenues. Consider the GAO and NCSL best practices for tax expenditure review, budgets, and reports. Additionally, we suggest a review of existing laws to consider: Removal of the provision to keep property valuations frozen at their current levels for senior citizens and citizens with disabilities; Setting a cap on the appraised values for which primary home exemptions may apply; and Setting an expiration on all property exemptions and credits so that eligibility determination may be re-evaluated upon submission of renewal application. Consider the use of market value for new sales, construction and renovations to assess real property. We caution the Legislature that with each increase or decrease of the assessed value rate, tax rates were also adjusted, resulting in no substantial increase in real property taxes. 28

32 1 Classification of Monetary Amounts Finding Description Questioned Costs Potential Savings Unrealized Revenues Other Financial Impact Total Financial Impact Mass Re-Appraisal Increased Tax Assessment Values $ - $ - $- $- $- Guam is Among the Lowest in Property Values and has the Lowest Effective Property Tax Rates in the $ - $ - $- $- $- United States Sub-Total $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - 2 Property Tax Revenue Leakage Uncollected/Delinquent Property Taxes $ - $ - $10,507,541 $- $10,507,541 Unidentified Property Owners (John Doe) $ - $ - $ 2,800,734 $- $ 2,800,734 Escape Assessments $ - $ - $ 2,311,021 $- $ 2,311,021 Chamorro Land Trust Properties $ - $ - $ 1,926,067 $- $ 1,926,067 Untaxed Condominium Properties $ - $ - $ 862,249 $- $ 862,249 Reduction in Values $ - $ - $ 445,740 $- $ 445,740 Other Possible Revenue Leakages $- GALC not Included in DRT s Aumentum System $ - $ - $- $- $- New Residential Home Construction and Additions to $ - $ - $- $- $- Existing Units Anomalies in the 2016 Tax Roll $185, $ - $- $- $185,843 Efficiencies in System, Assessment, and Collection Process Needed $ - $ - $- $- $- Sub-Total $185,843 $ - $18,853,352 $ - $19,039,195 3 Foregone Property Tax Revenues Primary Home Exemption $ - $ - $ 9,897,175 $ - $ 9,897,175 Senior Citizen Credits $ - $ - $ 6,644,651 $ - $ 6,644,651 A-F Exemptions $ - $ - $ 3,810,566 $ - $ 3,810,566 Tax Abatements for GEDA QC $ - $ - $ 824,086 $ - $ 824,086 Citizens with Disability Credits $ - $ - $ 169,134 $ - $ 169,134 Sub-total $ - $ - $21,345,612 $ - $21,345,612 Totals $185,843 $ - $40,198,964 $ - $40,384, We excluded $2.6M in estimated revenue leakage pertaining to new residential house constructions and additions to existing units because we cannot ascertain 29

33 Management Response and OPA Reply A draft was transmitted to DRT in April 2018 for their official response. We also met with DRT officials in April 2018 to discuss our findings and recommendations where DRT generally concurred. However, we revised our draft report based on this discussion: References to lost revenues were changed to unrealized revenues based on DRT s explanation. The statement DRT inability to identify property owners after the 2014 mass reappraisal to DRT Systems inability to identify property owners after the 2014 mass reappraisal due to the lack of interface and as DRT staff are still reviewing accounts for an estimated remaining 6,700 John Doe properties. References to DRT s Aumentum system not allowing the creation of PINs was changed to reflect the DLM Director s acknowledgement and agreement that the maintenance contract should be maintained by DLM for the LandWeb system. In May 2018, DRT provided their official response wherein management disagreed with certain findings and provided the following comments: 1. Guam is Among the Lowest in Property Values and has the Lowest Effective Property Tax Rate in the United States a. DRT Response: DRT questioned why OPA compared Guam s property home values and tax rates to the United States as there are many factors that determine the value of homes, and rates imposed DRT was also not clear as to the statement regarding Guam s residential home values being the lowest in the nation and its relevance to Guam having the lowest tax rates. OPA Reply: The United States property home values and tax rates were merely used as benchmarks to compare Guam s property home values and taxes. Our audit points out that Guam collects far less than the 50 states and the District of Columbia and opportunities to increase revenues were lost from these low tax rates. Therefore, these statements remain. b. DRT Response: The audit claims that According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections comprising 31.3%. DRT s research from the same source indicates the largest source of tax revenues comes from individual income tax at 40.5 and property taxes made up only 10.3%. OPA Reply: According to the Tax Foundation ( Property taxes are an important revenue source for state and local governments. In fiscal year 2014 (the most recent data available), property taxes were the largest source of state and local tax collections, comprising 31.3 percent. 30

34 We requested additional supporting documentation pertaining to DRT s response for this section. However, DRT did not provide the requested information as of report issuance. Therefore, these statements remain. 2. $18.8M in Property Tax Revenue Leakages or $4.2M Annually DRT Response: DRT disagreed that $18.8M was property tax revenue leakage as the taxes have been identified, assessed and still collectible. DRT can assess prior year taxes through escaped assessments. OPA Reply: We determined revenue leakage to be uncollected, delinquent, unassessed, and unbilled property taxes, and questionable reductions in taxable values. We agree the amounts are still collectible but found that DRT did not aggressively pursue these taxes due to improvements needed to statues, lack of collection staff, system setbacks, and not adhering to the MOA with DLM. Therefore, this finding remains. 3. $2.8M in Unbilled/Unidentified Property Owners (John Does) DRT Response: DRT disagreed that $18.8M was property tax revenue leakage as the taxes have been identified, assessed and still collectible. DRT can assess prior year taxes through escaped assessments. OPA Reply: We determined revenue leakage to be uncollected, delinquent, unassessed, and unbilled property taxes, and questionable reductions in taxable values. We agree the amounts are still collectible but found that DRT did not aggressively pursue these taxes due to improvements needed to statues, system setbacks, and not adhering to the MOA with DLM. Therefore, this finding remains. 4. MOA between DRT and DLM Not Strictly Enforced DRT Response: DRT disagreed with this finding stating that DRT publishes the certified tax rolls and maintains the rolls on its website, s it to DLM and provides the information on electronic medium adhering to the requirements of the MOA. OPA reply: According to DLM, s were not regularly provided and only done upon DLM s request. DRT also did not provide to DLM monthly payment updates on all CLTC and GALC properties, including the respective PINs. Therefore, this finding remains. In summary, DRT stated that they have been effective in administering the Real Property Tax laws of Guam. See Appendix 9 for DRT s management response. We also met with DLM officials in May 2018 to discuss our findings and recommendations. During the meeting, DLM generally concurred with the findings and recommendations. In May 31

35 2018, DLM provided their official response wherein management agreed with the findings and recommendations. See Appendix 10 for DLM s management response. The legislation creating the Office of Public Accountability requires agencies to prepare a corrective action plan to implement audit recommendations, to document the progress of implementing the recommendation, and to endeavor to complete implementation of the recommendations no later than the beginning of the next fiscal year. We will be contacting DRT to provide the target date and title of the official(s) responsible for implementing the recommendations. We appreciate the cooperation given to us by the staff and management of DRT and DLM during the course of this audit. OFFICE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY Doris Flores Brooks, CPA, CGFM Public Auditor 32

36 Appendix 1: Objective, Scope, and Methodology Page 1 of 2 Our audit objectives were to determine: 1. The effect of the 2014 mass revaluation on Guam s property values and Guam s ranking of its tax rate in comparison with the United States; 2. Determine revenue leakages due to uncollected property taxes, escaped assessments, and other billing issues; and 3. Determine foregone revenues due to tax exemptions, credits, and abatements. The scope of this engagement encompassed Fiscal Years 2012 through 2016 and Tax Years 2012 to Scope Limitation We did not test the tax rolls and the tax credits, exemptions, and abatements for completeness and accuracy. As a result, we relied on the information provided by DRT for tax years 2012 through We reviewed the 2016 tax roll to assess its reasonableness and found several anomalies, which we noted may be indications of revenue leakages. Audit Methodology Our audit methodology included a review of pertinent laws, rules and regulations, policies and procedures, prior audit findings, hotline tips, and other information pertinent to RPT and its exemptions. We also performed the following: Conducted interviews and walk-throughs with DRT-RPT officials and staff to obtain an understanding of the RPT assessment, billing and collection processes and its present Aumentum system. Conducted interviews and walk-throughs with DLM officials and staff to obtain an understanding of GovGuam inventory of real properties, assessment and billing of CLTCowned leased and licensed properties and DLM property-related systems, such as the LandWeb. Obtained and analyzed RPT data received from DRT for tax years 2012 through 2016 for trends and calculations of possible revenue leakages and foregone revenues. Determined the effect of the 2014 mass-revaluations on real property values and tax receivables. Due to the contracted Appraiser s errors in hotel property valuations, we also reviewed subsequent adjustments for propriety. Reviewed and recalculated the 2016 tax rolls certified by the BOE to determine reasonableness. Reviewed and analyzed the 2016 tax rolls for CLTC properties, John Does and other possible anomalies. Obtained data from DRT on property tax collections and delinquent and unpaid property taxes as of September 30, 2017 since the 2016 tax assessments are paid in FY We then determined the top 50 delinquent taxpayers. 33

37 Appendix 1: Objective, Scope, and Methodology Page 2 of 2 Verified if DRT enforced the law relative to the deeding of delinquent properties. Obtained data for properties that escaped assessments in prior years, recalculated taxes due and obtained confirmation from DRT if paid. Determined the process and the cause for the uncollected taxes. However, we did not verify and calculate escape assessments for 2011 and prior years, as this is not within the scope of our audit. Obtained, analyzed and referred to DRT, the DLM-provided data on leased properties and calculated property tax leakages. Obtained from DLM, data on condominiums and other constructions since 2012 and referred them to DRT to determine the un-taxed properties. Calculated revenue leakages for condominium units based on values available. However, the exact number of untaxed multi-family dwelling properties (i.e., condominiums and townhomes), as well as new and additional constructions since 2012, cannot be determined. Researched information on effective property tax rates and property values in the U.S., and compared and determined Guam s ranking based on home value data provided by DRT. Researched data on new and additional construction from 2012 to 2016 from the Bureau of Statistics and Plan (BSP) to determine possible new constructions not included in DRT s tax assessment rolls. Per DPW, they annually provide this report to BSP. Obtained data on property tax exemptions, credits and abatements to determine the total amount of foregone revenues. However, we did not verify the completeness of the data provided versus the tax assessment rolls. Obtained a copy of the signed MOA between DRT and DLM and verified if it was enforced. We conducted this audit in accordance with the standards for performance audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States of America. These standards require that we plan our audit objectives and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. Except for the scope limitation noted above, we believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our objective. 34

38 Appendix 2: Prior Audit Coverage OPA Report No Real Property Taxes, August 2013 Tax assessments were based on a valuation system completed in 1993, or over 20 years ago, thus current market values are not used resulting in an estimated $14.0M over the past five years of unrealized and lost tax revenues; Appraised values for new residential property sales and constructions were being adjusted downward to reflect the 1993 values instead of current values; Guam s property tax rates were among the lowest in the 50 states and District of Columbia while property values are the lowest; Real property tax exemptions and reduced tax rates for senior citizens and home exemptions represented $2.6M annually of forgone tax revenues, or $13.2M from 2007 to 2011; 1,605 real properties accounted for 9,480 escaped assessments, resulting in foregone property tax revenues totaling $1.6M; A lack of interface with the DPW Building Permits and Inspection Section and the DLM to recognize a change in real property values as well as sales of real property, updated renovations, and changes in lien resulting in $57K in unrealized and lost tax revenues; $858K in questioned costs based on our testing and review. The largest was the Board of Equalization s approval of a major reduction in hotel value, resulting in $574K in questioned costs; and All real property tax division staff have the ability to input into DRT s database, i.e., home values, exemptions, abatements, etc., without secondary controls and review. Of the seven recommendations made: One recommendation was closed involving the issuance of a proposal for appraisal and revaluation services; Three recommendations were deemed not implementable as they involved amending laws; and Three remain open: Establish a communication protocol with DPW and DLM to include the updated assessment of real properties. Conduct random reviews of exemptions to determine if there has been change in claims Place controls on DRT s database to limit input access and ensure secondary review by management. 35

39 Appendix 3: DRT-RPT Organizational Chart 36

40 Appendix 4: Laws, Regulations, and Internal Policies Page 1 of 2 Excerpts from Title 11 GCA Chapter 24, Real Property Tax Law states that DRT shall be responsible for the enforcement and collection of property taxes states that Senior Citizens shall pay real property tax on personal residential property at twenty percent (20%) of the yearly real estate tax based on the latest five year tax assessment states that US citizens with disabilities and heads of households with dependents with disabilities shall pay a real property tax for family residential property at twenty percent (20%) of the yearly real estate tax based on the latest five year tax assessment states that the senior citizen, citizen with disabilities or a head of household with dependents with disabilities is entitled to have a valuation of his residential property fixed at the amount assessed in its first year of eligibility until his death or he no longer owns or resides in the property states when a taxpayer s claim for an exemption has been denied, the applicant may file his copy of notice of disapproval with the Board of Equalization on or before September 15 of the same year. The Board shall review the claim and may reverse the decision of the assessor and grant claim for exemption or affirm the decision of the assessor states that no assessment shall be reduced unless either the person assessed or his agent files with the Board a written application showing the facts claimed to warrant a reduction, or the assessor recommends in writing that a reduction be made. Relevant Public Laws P. L. No September 29, 2007 Redefined assessed value as 70% of the appraised value. The real property tax rates were decreased to 1/8 percent ( ) for land and ½ percent (0.005) for improvements. P. L. No April 8, 2009 Redefined assessed value as 90% of the appraised value. The real property tax rates were decreased to 7/72 percent ( ) for land and 7/18 percent ( ) for improvements. P.L. No September 19, 2011 Property means land and improvements on land, and includes the interest of a lessee or license of land owned by CLTC. Redefined assessed value as 90% of the appraised value. The appraised value of the interest of a lessee or licensee of land owned CLTC shall be the appraised value of the land not including improvements. The holder of any lease or license for the occupation or beneficial use of Chamorro Homelands shall be subject to all applicable taxes on the lessee s or licensee s interest in the land and on any improvements to any land leased or licensed. 37

41 Appendix 4: Laws, Regulations, and Internal Policies Page 2 of 2 Assessed taxes shall be collected by DRT, which shall maintain record for all such taxes collected. P.L. No March 28, 2012 Redefined assessed value as 100% of the appraised value. The real property tax rates were decreased to seven-eightieth percent (7/80% or ) for land and seven-twentieth percent (7/20% or ) for improvements. Public Law December 29, 2014 For tax years prior to 2014 after 30 years succeeding the time heretofore and for tax years after 2013, after 10 years succeeding the time, hereafter, if the lien has not been removed, then the lien ceases to exist and the tax is conclusively presumed to have been paid. For the 2014 Real Property Tax Year only, the preliminary assessment roll shall be issued on or before February 2, 2015, appeals may be filed from February 16, 2015 to March 16, The BOE shall certify the tax roll on or before March 31, The DRT Director shall be authorized to administratively take action to collect and resolve delinquent property taxes subject to duly adopted regulations. P.L. No September 10, 2016 Redefined assessed value as 90% of the appraised value. The real property tax rates were decreased to seven seventy-second percent (7/70% or ) for land and seveneighteenths percent (7/18% or ) for improvements. 38

42 Appendix 5: 2016 Average Home Values (Low to High) State/Jurisdiction Average Home Value Rank State/Jurisdiction Average Home Value Oklahoma $ 142,683 1 Idaho $ 236, Indiana $ 143,016 2 Montana $ 242, Mississippi $ 143,357 3 Vermont $ 255, Arkansas $ 150,742 4 Minnesota $ 260, Ohio $ 155,415 5 Delaware $ 271, Iowa $ 158,691 6 West Virginia $ 271, Alabama $ 161,853 7 Maine $ 274, Kentucky $ 165,285 8 Florida $ 278, Michigan $ 165,584 9 Arizona $ 282, Kansas $ 172, New Hampshire $ 292, Missouri $ 173, Nevada $ 293, Nebraska $ 174, Utah $ 300, Tennessee $ 181, Rhode Island $ 316, Louisiana $ 183, Virginia $ 321, South Dakota $ 195, Maryland $ 326, Guam $ 196, Alaska $ 336, Wisconsin $ 199, Oregon $ 342, South Carolina $ 204, Connecticut $ 348, Georgia $ 204, New Jersey $ 367, Pennsylvania $ 206, New York $ 372, North Carolina $ 217, Colorado $ 394, Wyoming $ 222, Washington $ 406, Texas $ 226, Massachusetts $ 455, Illinois $ 227, California $ 619, New Mexico $ 227, District of Columbia $ 772, North Dakota $ 227, Hawaii $ 784, Rank 39

43 Appendix 6: 2016 Effective Property Tax Rates (Low to High) State/Jurisdiction Effective Tax Rate Rank State/Jurisdiction Effective Tax Rate Guam 0.17% 1 Virginia 0.99% 27 Hawaii 0.32% 2 Oregon 1.02% 28 Alabama 0.48% 3 Idaho 1.02% 29 Colorado 0.52% 4 Florida 1.05% 30 Tennessee 0.54% 5 Maryland 1.05% 31 Delaware 0.56% 6 Minnesota 1.06% 32 West Virginia 0.57% 7 Missouri 1.11% 33 South Carolina 0.63% 8 North Dakota 1.11% 34 District of Columbia 0.64% 9 Massachusetts 1.21% 35 Nevada 0.64% 10 South Dakota 1.38% 36 Utah 0.65% 11 Iowa 1.43% 37 Arkansas 0.67% 12 Maine 1.43% 38 Arizona 0.68% 13 Kansas 1.47% 39 Louisiana 0.71% 14 Nebraska 1.50% 40 Kentucky 0.74% 15 Michigan 1.52% 41 Wyoming 0.76% 16 Wisconsin 1.61% 42 California 0.77% 17 Rhode Island 1.64% 43 North Carolina 0.78% 18 Ohio 1.68% 44 Montana 0.80% 19 New York 1.88% 45 Georgia 0.86% 20 Pennsylvania 1.89% 46 Mississippi 0.86% 21 Connecticut 2.00% 47 Washington 0.88% 22 Vermont 2.02% 48 Oklahoma 0.89% 23 New Hampshire 2.03% 49 Indiana 0.94% 24 Texas 2.06% 50 Alaska 0.96% 25 Illinois 2.13% 51 New Mexico 0.97% 26 New Jersey 2.31% 52 Rank 40

44 Appendix 7: GAO Best Practices Excerpt 18 Page 1 of 4 18 The full version may be viewed online at 41

45 Appendix 7: GAO Best Practices Page 2 of 4 42

46 Appendix 7: GAO Best Practices Page 3 of 4 43

47 Appendix 7: GAO Best Practices Page 4 of 4 44

48 Appendix 8: NCSL Best Practices Page 1 of 3 45

49 Appendix 8: NCSL Best Practices Page 2 of 3 46

50 Appendix 8: NCSL Best Practices Page 3 of 3 47

51 Appendix 9: DRT Management Response Page 1 of 3 48

52 Appendix 9: DRT Management Response Page 2 of 3 49

53 Appendix 9: DRT Management Response Page 3 of 3 50

54 Appendix 10: DLM Management Response 51